Water cooler



R. E. BROWN WATER COOLER oct. 5, 1937'.

Filed Nov. 23, 1936 all rlllll.

Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES ATET OFFICE My invention relates to Va water cooler and While of general application, is especially for use with'water dispensers such as are used in homes and oliices. Water may be suppliedto such dis- .51 pensers either by inverting a glass bottle of Water having its neck immersed in the water dispenser or water may be continuously supplied by a valve controlled means from a sourcefof water under pressure. Unlesssuchxwater is pure the water 1Q dispensers generally contain Water purication means. The water dispensers include .usually ,a water container having porous clayvwaljls.which by evaporation cools the waterwithin thegcontainer or other means areV used for coolingkthe Water in the container. .Sometimesthe porous clay container is combined with additional'cooling means.

The present invention relates to water cooling means for a water dispenser in which a porous fibrous jacket tightly embraces the side walls of the Water container and water is supplied at spaced points at the upper end of the jacket uniformly moistening the same, the evaporation of the waterrof the jacket producing the cooling effect. The present invention has for its object to provide simple, inexpensive and eflicient means Whichmay be easily controlled for supplying the water to the cooling jacket.

With the above and other objects in View which V will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specication, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Fig. l is a top plan View of a water dispenser provided with myV water cooler.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. Bis an enlarged longitudinal, vertical cross section of one lof the water distributing units showing in elevation the connection to an adjacent unit. f

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a water container having a bottom wall 2, cylindrical side walls 3 and a eonstricted opening vIl at the top providing a shoulder 5 to support a plurality of Water distributing units which are indicated at 6. 'I is a gasket resting on the mouth of the container I against which rests the inverted bottle 8 indicated in dotted linesrin Fig. 2.

The water container is provided with the usual faucet 9. I0 is a drip pan disposed below the container I. Tightly embracing the side walls 3 of the container is a cooling jacket II, made 5 claims. (ci. tag-154) of suitable porous material such as blotting paper and the same is firmly held in positionV by means of a pair of metal bands I2 encircling theV same. l

The water distributing means consists of a plu- 5 rality of cylindrical tubes I3 which in the present instance are shown as seven in number which form a polygon approaching a circle and rest upon shoulder 5 of the Water container. Each hollow cylinder is made of porous material such l0 as hard-burned porous clay, and through the whole length thereover` extends a metal tube vIll having its ends threaded at I5 and projecting from opposite ends of the cylinderv I3. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the tube I4 is spaced from the 15 interior walls of the clay cylinder I3 providing a water chamber I6 to which water is supplied through perforations I1 in tube I (l. The ends Y of the clay cylinders I3 are made fluid tight by means of screw caps I8 provided with gaskets I9. 20 Each cylinder I3 is connected to an adjacent cylinder by means of a tubular connection 20 which is screw threaded to adjacent ends I5 of tubes iii. It will be seen that the cylinders I3 are connected in series in this manner and Water 25 under pressure is supplied to the free end of one of the cylinders I3 by means of a pipe 2l provided with a regulating valve 22. The other free end of the series of the cylinders I3 is provided with a valved outlet 23. Each cylinder I3 is pro- 30 vided on its outer periphery with a helical Water 1 distributing rib 24.

Operation Water is supplied through pipe 2| which may 35 be connected to the city water system and valve 22 is opened, allowing the Water to pass through the tubes I3 arranged in series as described and out through the valved outlet 23. A pressure gauge may be attached to the valved outlet 23 40 and the regulating valve 22 manipulated until the desired pressure is indicated at the pressure gauge. Outlet valve 23 is now closed and the Y water in waterrchamber I6 of each cylinder I3 will The water distributing Yunit v6 maybe iushed out periodically to remove any sediment deposited on the interior walls of the porous cylinders by opening the valved outlet 23. The rapid oW of water through tubes I4 will Cause the Water in water chambers I6 to be agitated and drawn through perforations Il of tubes I4 and out through the outlet.

Various changes may be made in the construction and combination of parts of my Water cooler by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A water cooler comprising a Water container having a bottom, side walls and a constricted opening on top providing a shoulder, a porous cooling jacket, means to hold the jacket in contact with the side walls, aA plurality of porous hollow clay cylinders forming water distributing units and disposed on said shoulder, each cylinder having on its periphery a helical rib for collecting and conducting water to the upper end of the cooling jacket and valve controlled means to supply water under pressure to the water distributing units, each cylinder being closed at the ends and provided with a perforated tube spaced from the interior walls of the cylinder, the cylinders being connected in series by a tubular connection between ends of adjacent cylinders.

2. A water cooler comprising a water container having a bottom, side walls, and a constricted opening on top providing a shoulder, a porous cooling jacket closely embracing the side walls and a plurality of porous hollow cylinders connected in series and disposed on said shoulder, each cylinder being closed at the ends and provided with the perforated tube extending through the length of the cylinder and spaced from the interior walls thereof and valve controlled means for supplying Water Linder pressure to one end of said series and a valved outlet at the other end of the series.

3. A water cooler comprising a Water container having a bottom, side walls, and a shoulder at the top of porous material embracing the side Walls and means for distributing Water at spaced points to the upper end of the cooling jacket, said Water distributing means including a plurality of hollow porous cylinders, each cylinder being closed at its ends and a tube spaced from the interior walls of the cylinder and provided with perforations extending lengthwise through each cylinder,radjace'nt ends having tubular connections and Ymeans to supply water under pressure to the water distributing units.

4. A water cooler comprising a water container having a bottom, side Walls, and an opening at the top, a cooling jacket made of porous sheet embracing the side walls and means to distribute Water at spaced points to the upper end of the cooling jacket, said water distributing means including a plurality of tubularly connected hollow porous cylinders and valve controlled means for supplying water under pressure to the Water distributing means. f

5. A water cooler comprising a water container having side Walls, a cooling jacket made of a porous sheet embracing the side walls and means for distributing water to the upper end of the cooling jacket, said water distributing means including a plurality of porous cylinders tubularly connected in series and valve controlled means for supplying water under pressure to the Water distributing means. v Y

ROBERT E. BROWN. 

